“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us
to Christ, that we might be justified by faith”
(Galatians 3:24).
Apostle Paul is one of the greatest preachers of the Holy Gospel, an unsurpassed worker of the Lord, a tireless missioner who
spent the largest part of his life in multiple missionary journeys or dungeons,
suffering from the persecutions of the world that did not want to accept
Christ. Since he was the apostle of gentiles, we can say that Paul was a
missionary apostle. After he preached for Hebrews in their synagogues, he
always addressed with the Gospel to gentiles, despite the fact that he suffered
and worried a lot because of his tribesmen who refused to accept the Messiah: “For
I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen
according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3).
Apostle Paul was not one of the Twelve Apostles, neither he
was a witness of Christ’s earthly life. For some time he even was a persecutor
of Christ’s Church and was the last one from the apostles who was called by the Lord Himself for his
apostolic ministry. That is why in all his letters and guidance and almost in
every his address to Christian communities (even to those that had been
established by himself) he had to prove his apostolic authority and state that
the News, which he was preaching, was not just his own fabrication, but the
universal teaching of the Church: “For our exhortation did not come from error
or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be
entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who
tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
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| Apostles Peter and Paul |
The main feature of his preaching was that he preached
for the gentiles who had never known the Law of Moses. Paul insisted that one could
be saved only through the faith in Jesus Christ but not through following the
Law: “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident,
for “the just shall live by faith”” (Galatians 3:11). However, the former
Hebrews among Christians confused the communities established by Apostle Paul
and shook the faith of those young churches. That is why it was decided to
gather in Jerusalem to solve that issue. Apostle Paul wrote in his Letter to
Galatians that he together with Apostle Barnabas and Titus went to Jerusalem to
meet with “the leaders” and tell them about his preaching among gentiles in
order to dispel the dissatisfaction of the Christians of Jerusalem. So, “when
James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had
been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that
we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only
that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do”
(Galatians 2:9-10). There was also an interesting fact about that meeting – a so-called “quarrel”
between Apostles Peter and Paul that took place at the Apostolic Council when
they both suggested not to complicate the gentiles’ path to Christ: “Now when Peter
had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be
blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles;
but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were
of the circumcision” (Galatians 2:11-12).
We would keep thinking that such pillars of faith as
Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul could oppose each other, if only St. John
Chrysostom did not explain us in his works and homilies that the quarrel between them was
just putative. Apostles Peter and Paul were in full conformity, peace and love with
each other. What concerns Paul’s exposure of Peter, it had been discussed between
the apostles in advance so that they could confront the so-called false
brothers, “to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth
of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:5), as apostle Paul said.
Once and forever, the Apostolic Council became the example for all the future
councils conducted by the Church. The authority of Apostle Paul was proved as well as the
significance of his preaching among gentiles. Due to the Apostolic Council, the
Holy Church, which is universal by Its origin, could state Its mission one more
time – to preach the Name of God for all the peoples and to gather them under
the One Head and main Shepherd Jesus Christ.
What St.
John Chrysostom says in his works:
«The Apostles, as I said before, permitted
circumcision at Jerusalem, an abrupt severance from the law not being
practicable; but when they come to Antioch, they no longer continued this
observance, but lived indiscriminately with the believing Gentiles which thing
Peter also was at that time doing. But when some came from Jerusalem who had
heard the doctrine he delivered there, he no longer did so fearing to perplex
them, but he changed his course, with two objects secretly in view, both to
avoid offending those Jews, and to give Paul a reasonable pretext for rebuking
him. For had he, having allowed circumcision when preaching at Jerusalem,
changed his course at Antioch, his conduct would have appeared to those Jews to
proceed from fear of Paul, and his disciples would have condemned his excess of
pliancy. And this would have created no small offence; but in Paul, who was
well acquainted with all the facts, his withdrawal would have raised no such
suspicion, as knowing the intention with which he acted. Wherefore Paul
rebukes, and Peter submits, that when the master is blamed, yet keeps silence,
the disciples may more readily come over. Without this occurrence Paul’s
exhortation would have had little effect, but the occasion hereby afforded of
delivering a severe reproof, impressed Peter’s disciples with a more lively
fear. Had Peter disputed Paul’s sentence, he might justly have been blamed as
upsetting the plan, but now that the one reproves and the other keeps silence,
the Jewish party are filled with serious alarm; and this is why he used Peter
so severely. Observe too Paul’s careful choice of expressions, whereby he
points out to the discerning, that he uses them in pursuance of the plan, (οἰκονομίας) and
not from anger».
Reflections
in the Holy Church tradition:
Let us come today and gather in chorus, and give an
offering of the faithful! Let us exalt the Apostles Peter and Paul, the two
vessels of grace! Let us worthily crown them with praises! For they bountifully
spread the seed of the Word, giving all mankind its rich harvest. Filled with
the grace of the Spirit, they were branches of the True Vine who tended the
fruit that gladdens our hearts. Let us sing to them with unveiled faces and
pure hearts: “Rejoice, guides of those without reason, who cared for those who
gained wisdom! Rejoice, chosen friends of the Creator! Rejoice, stewards of
bounty and foes of illusion!” Let us ever pray to them that they may intercede
with their Creator and Master that He may grant peace to the world and great
mercy to our souls! (The sticheron on the Litya, Tone 2)
To be
continued…
CONVERSATION